Gift Exchange
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Laxus and Mira fail to get the right gifts for one another. But that's okay. Honestly, it might even be for the best. - One-shot, set in the Parenthood series.


"Alright," Mirajane began after she'd placed the huge plate stacked high with pancakes down on the table beside the other covered in bacon and sausage. As her boys, husband, and the Master all dug in, she only moved to snag her one-year-old daughter from her highchair, bouncing the girl in her arms while saying, "Everyone knows the plan for the day? Boys? You all made your lists last night, right?"

There was a murmur of agreement, but it was a distracted one as Nate, the oldest boy, was totally taking too much bacon again while Pike, his younger brother, only began to whine loudly about it and Mace, their always trapped in the middle cousin, decided that meant he could have much of the scrambled eggs as he wanted.

"Let your gramps," Laxus was growling at them then, "get his food first, you brats."

"It's fine, you grump," Makarov told the man with a frown. "They're growing boys. And Nate, you're training hard already, aren't you? On your magic? You need all that bacon." When Nathan beamed at this and Pike looked wounded, the elderly man was sure to add, "But if you don't give your brother a few pieces, I'll bend you over my knee."

"Share, boys," Mirajane sighed as she carried her baby with her over to the counter to get the drinks for everyone. "And you didn't answer me. Everyone wrote their list? And knows what they're getting? I don't mind taking some time at the market today, but I'm only going to do it today. So you have to make sure you get something for everyone you want. You understand?"

"I'mma get somethin' for everyone, Mommy," Pike told her as, finally, Laxus moved to divvy up the food, as he should have been doing from the beginning. "You and Daddy and Gramps and Nate and Mace and Aunt Lisanna and Uncle Elf and Freed and-"

"I'm not getting anything for Laxus!" Nathan yelled this, fueled a bit by his denial of all the bacon, but having been holding that in since the last night, when his father made him sit in timeout over something super dumb (if neglecting your chores was something dumb; it was).

"Good!" Laxus was not in the mood, it seemed. "I don't want anything from you."

"I'mma get you somethin', Uncle Laxus," Mace offered helpfully. "But, I was lookin' at how much everything'll cost so you're probably just gonna get a keychain. Or do you want a mug? Some candy?"

"Boys, don't spoil it by telling people what you're getting them," Mira chided over her shoulder as Ivory, her little one, mewled in her ear. "That takes the fun out of it."

But Laxus, who definitely did not want another fucking keychain or mug was thankful for the heads up.

"Candy," he grunted to his nephew, "will do."

"Mark me off your lists, boys," Makarov told them as Mirajane brought him his coffee first, drawing the ire of his grandson. As his great ones looked on with frowns, he assured them, "Getting to send another festival with you is gift enough."

"Aw, Master," Mirajane giggled while Laxus only rolled his eyes. Still, she was sure to add, "You can still make your grandpa cards, boys."

It was Winter Festival and that meant that Laxus had given each of them a stipend for the month, to buy gifts for one another. Money didn't feel as tight however, this month, after a successful S-Class job, and Laxus gave them a bit extra, telling them to buy for anyone else they wanted as well.

This meant big decisions had to be made.

Between the three of them, the two older boys knew how to game the system just a bit. Buying one another gifts that they would want to play with as well. Poor Pike though, he wasn't as savvy, and actually always got his big bubba and older cousin toys they'd like, not himself. He was a bit of a chump, thankfully, in the eyes of Nate and Mace.

Market day was usually one that all the boys avoided, because it meant carrying heavy groceries all the way home and being told no a bunch, by Mirajane or Laxus, and that sucked. But one days like this one, where expectations and anticipation melted into one, the hype was high.

"Here, dragon." He got his coffee with a kiss to the cheek, but when he tried to snag his baby as well, Mirajane only held tight to her. Making a face at him, she added, "She's mine."

She was not.

But he was going to give in for the moment because his stomach was growling.

"Ivory and I will probably take a nap, I think, while you all are out at the market," Makarov sighed to himself as Mirajane then took to getting the boys their juice. "Unless this coffee manages to wake me up."

"Egg probably wants to come to the market too," Nate argued, just a bit (no one was risking getting into too much trouble, that morning). "I bet if she could, she'd buy me a gift. And only me. And you too, Mommy."

Laxus seethed silently.

"Don't call your sister an egg," Mira chided absently as, finally, it was time for her to make herself a plate and Ivory one as well, from the leftovers.

"I'm gonna get Ivy a new bow," Pike announced, mangling his little sister's name with the same abandon as always. "It's okay to say, I think, Mommy, 'cause she doesn't know what I'm saying."

"Ivory doesn't want a bow," Nate retorted. "She wants some new toy cars."

"Nate, don't just buy what you want," Mira sighed, but oh, he definitely was.

"I think Ivory wants a new teddy to chew on," Mace mused softly.

But Laxus, who knew what his baby wanted was to be with him, not trapped back in her high chair, only grumbled to the boys, "Just remember your budgets. You run outta jewels, you're outta luck."

"Oh, dragon, they're big boys," Mirajane assured the man as she still neglected feeding herself, instead, watching over Ivory as the baby mostly made a mess of her eggs. "Remember, Daddy's gonna go with you, Pike, to get your list, and I'm going to expect you two, Nate and Mace, to take care of yourselves while I buy some things for the big dinner. Okay? Ooh and I gotta do some shopping for the guild-"

"We'll be good, Mom," Nate assured her with that bright grin only the woman got out of him. "Promise."

She believed them.

But only because they were all so excited.

Laxus didn't wanna leave poor, whiny Ivory with Gramps. But everyone's arms would be so full, coming back home, too full for her stroller, and, well, she was looking a bit sleepy, ready for her mid morning nap.

"Remember," Mira cautioned the boys as they approached the busy market, "no looking in one another's bags. And no talking to strangers. Unless they're shopkeepers, I guess. Maybe. And do not leave the market, Pike and Nate. I mean it. And oh, Pike, remember to hold Daddy's hand."

Oh, he definitely was.

"Alright, Pike," Laxus sighed some as he led his white haired child through the busy market, packed to its fullest as holiday shoppers perused the wares. "where should we head first?"

"Well, I wanna get Mommy some nail polish. And for Aunt Ever too."

"Uh-huh."

"And Ivy a bow."

"Uh-huh."

"And when I need to get you your gift," Pike asked, looking up at his father, "should I just tell you to close your eyes?"

"Sure, fine, whatever."

"Okay." Pike came to an abrupt stop in front of some mugs. "Close your eyes."

Laxus humored him, but only because Pike deserved it.

Mirajane was too busy though, planning out the family dinner after the festival as well as worrying over the list she had for the afternoon guild festivities to worry about presents. She and Laxus already had the boys big joint gift locked down and had for a few weeks. She'd just get her sister and Bickslow liquor, Freed some nice new cuff links, and Evergreen and Elfman something small since, you know, _they were raising their son for them ninety percent of the time…_

Or maybe she'd just also get them alcohol.

She did sigh some, when she thought of her dragon. The past year hadn't been the worst of their relationship, honestly, but it hadn't been the most pleasant either. Things were trending upwards though and she wanted to get him something nice. Special. He'd gone through a lot, providing in the past year for them all, and she didn't ever want him to not feel appreciated.

But Laxus felt much the same, glancing about at random things as Pike drug him through shop after shop, passed merchant displays. This pregnancy had been a bit more difficult on Mira than her first and having three kids (well, four) was a lot to balance. And she did so much work up the bar. Took care of his grandfather. Him. His demon looked out for all of them. He couldn't keep track of things, the way she did. For all the back breaking work he put in, training and taking jobs, it was always so much more draining, when he was filling in at home. He couldn't imagine dealing with the dumb guild, on top of that.

"I love the Winter Festival," Pike told him with a giggle as he blinked up at the light snowfall from above.

Laxus, not nearly as thrilled, made a face at the white specks as they drifted down, but still only grumbled to his son, "Yeah. Me too."

Still, the boys were all energized, on the long walk back home, carrying their bundles of gifts as their parents struggled with the other groceries.

"Nate, take your stuff to your bedroom," Mira sighed as, once the house was in sight, all three boys took off in a sprint, wanting to get there first. "Pike, go to yours. Mace, go to me and your uncles, huh? And I'll be by soon to give you all your wrapping paper and tape. No peeking at one another's stuff, okay? And Lax, just set the other stuff down in the kitchen, huh?"

Oh, he was. And then he was going to go steal his baby from dumb Gramps.

Ivory was excited to see her father, who only took her with him down to the hall a bit later, under the instruction of Mirajane, along with the things she needed brought there. The kids didn't go to the hall often, and Ivory even less than the boys, so she got made over a bit, when he entered with her, by the female members and that was fine; they could keep her for a second while he put the groceries in the back.

"Sis did the shopping, huh?" Lisanna asked from behind the bar as he walked in, all loaded up. "Hey, do you know what she's cooking for dinner? After the festival? Bickslow's cut out garlic."

"Why?" the slayer grumbled as she followed him into the back area. Not to help or anything, oh no, just observe. "In what world would garlic have any affect on-"

"Well, he just has, so-"

"Then I guess be better not eat, huh?"

"Are we eating something with garlic?"

"I don't fucking know, Lisanna. I-"

"Is someone grouchy?"

He was sour now, at least, but she only grinned at the face he made.

"Lighten up, big brother," she teased him openly. "It's almost Winter Festival."

Yeah. And that's why, after leaving the hall, he decided to stay out for a bit longer, to avoid the mess this was causing back at home.

It was a good time for Ivory, at least, who always enjoyed being pushed around in her stroller. But eventually the temperature felt like it was dipping a little bit too much and he decided to take her home. The boys were enjoying the outdoors, however, when he arrived, no doubt kicked out of the house by their mother, who was probably inside stressing over dinner and presents and ugh.

Pike was very busy hiding behind the big tree in the yard as Mace and Nate pelted one another with snowballs and Laxus only sighed, watching for a moment, before opening his mouth to call out for them to calm down a bit. But at the sound of his father's voice, Nate only turned to look at him, a devious look in his eyes, and turned his rapid fire onto the man.

Only, well, Laxus was just so tall and kind of far away still and the snow balls didn't smack into his father's face like he wanted, but rather into his sister's stroller and, well, she was _not _happy about this.

"Damn it, Nathan!"

"I'm sorry," he complained, rushing over as his father only moved to lift the baby into his arms. "I didn't mean to!"

"You have to be more careful!"

"Stop yelling at me! I already said sorry!"

"Lax, what's going on?"

And Mirajane was coming out there then, at the sound of all the yelling. She'd been expecting to break the boys up from, honestly, picking on Pike, but to find her husband back around, causing the issues only made her roll her eyes.

"He just threw a snowball at his sister."

"It was an accident, Mommy!" And Nate, who'd been going over to argue with his father (and comfort his sister) abandoned ship as he ran to his protector instead. "And he's yelling at me about it."

"We just have to be more careful," she sighed as, after patting her oldest on the head, she came to collect her youngest. "And Pike, why don't you go ahead and come inside too? You can help me make hot chocolate."

Anything to keep him away from the snowball fire. He'd come outside to make snow angels. If Ivory's reaction to getting a snowball to the face was any indication of how much it sucked, Pike wanted none of it.

Nate didn't have long to steam over his father (and, honestly, of missing and hitting his little sister) because Mace, seizing the older boy's distraction beaned him one, right in the face and oh, that would be paid back in full.

Bet.

Inside, he could hear Pike going on and on to his mother about how he'd really wanted to build an igloo and make snow angels, not get pummeled by snowballs, to which she listened sympathetically and assured him, before winter was over, she'd make sure he got to do both.

Laxus wanted to go snag Ivory, from where she was hanging off her mother's hip, but Mira seemed rather insistent on keeping her, so he only slunk off to go check in on the old man.

Makarov was standing up, over by his bedroom window, looking out over the front yard, no doubt watching his great-grandson. Great-grandsons, maybe. Depending on who you asked.

"You're too hard on him, Laxus," the man remarked without turning to look at his grandson. "Children make mistakes."

"You gotta be hard on them," the man retorted. "Or else they turn out like-"

"You?"

"Shuddup."

Makarov glanced over at him then, but only to ask, "And what of my hall?"

"Runnin' just fine without you anywhere near it," the slayer reported with a bit of snark. "Amazin' how that works, huh?"

After making a noise in the back of his throat, the older man remarked, "You should enjoy your boys. All of them. While you have them. Laxus."

"What are you talking about now?"

"Winter Festival only comes once a year." He was looking back then, out the window, down at where Nate had finally gotten the better of Mace once more. "Don't spend all of it looking so down."

He didn't want to. Had no intentions of doing so. Hadn't realized he was. But it was with furrowed brows that he ran into his wife, not soon after that, her headed into their bedroom to put Ivory down for her midday nap.

"Oh, dragon, did you want to take one with her?" she asked with a bit of a yawn herself, but while the man did lean down to brush his forehead gently against his sleepy baby's, he still found himself shaking his head.

"No," he sighed as he walked on then, to the kitchen to collect Pike and take him out into the backyard, away from the older boys for awhile. "I have snow angels to make."

And after that, a snowball fight to win.

And maybe even an igloo or two, in the coming days.

They passed quickly enough, the days, and then it was Winter Festival and man, the boys sure were hyped. They went down to the guild with their parents, a rare treat, where all the adults were having an early morning party with their guild family before the parade and other festivities.

As great as the parade was (and being at the hall where, each three hoped, even timid Pike, to one day find their own place), it was even better when it was over and they got to go home, where Mirajane and the reluctant Lisanna busied themselves in the kitchen while the others all sat around, drinking and talking as the boys sat in the corner, unwrapping their gifts first.

"Wow!" Pike lit right up when, upon unwrapping the presents from his cousin and brother, rather than finding toys the two older boys would be more interested in, he found that Mace had gotten him this extremely cool toy pirate ship to play with in the bathtub and Nate had gotten him a dark bandanna with a skull and cross bones over it.

"You gotta wear it like this," his big bubba said as he helped tie it over the bottom half of Pike's face.

"Now you're a real pirate," Mace assured him with a quick nod and the little white haired boy wasn't so sure, but he hoped so.

When the boys finished with their own gifts though, they were quick to go around to all the adults in the family, passing out the tiny ones they'd gotten them.

"I almost didn't get you anything," Nate remarked to Lisanna when he came in there to present his mother with a very nice spatula (he felt like she could use this a lot, when she was flipping him grilled cheeses; Mira pretended to not only be happy, but also surprised). "'cause you suck."

"Same," Lisanna remarked back as she handed him his very own five jewels! And he gave her this dumb keychain that she definitely wasn't going to keep forever or anything.

"I wrote you a card too, Mommy," he added to Mira who only nodded and sent him back into the living room to finish passing his things out.

Mace was very pleased with the holiday as it seemed to be the only one that ever got to his mother and convinced both of his parents to stick around, just for a bit. They were both gone so much, off on jobs or just busy, and that was fine, maybe, because Uncle Laxus and Aunt Mirajane weren't, they were there, they could be there, but…

There was just something different, about your actual mom and dad.

His father tossed him up in the air, like he was a very little boy again, instead of just a little boy, and told him that he'd wear his new tie everywhere and Evergreen sighed some, around her glass of wine at the cheap pair of earrings her son presented her with, before looking off and maybe she was just really sweaty. From being inside with the fireplace going and all. But it almost looked like she teared up. Maybe. As she thanked him.

Master loved all cards all three boys presented him and Nate declared that Egg liked his present the best, but Mace was pretty certain his littlest cousin loved her new teddy the most.

Laxus was talking with Freed over in the corner and Nate finished his rounds with the two of them, going over to give the green haired man a really cool comic book he found, with a sword fighter on it.

"I feel," Nathan told him simply, "like you need this."

Freed didn't, but bowed to the boy all the same.

Looking to his father then, Nate almost just stuck his tongue out, because Laxus was still a butt, he was the biggest butt, but he was still his dad and, well…

"Three coffee mugs," Laxus remarked as his oldest too presented him with one. Different, technically, than the one Mace had, with the lightning design, or the one he'd witnessed Pike get, with #1 Dad printed upon it, but not by much, considering it just said Magnolia on it and seemed to be some sort of touristy shit. "I...don't know how I'll pick which one to drink from first."

"Choose Pike," Mace suggested as he came over to beam up at his uncle. "He doesn't win lots."

But he felt like he'd won the world, as he just couldn't wait for once, until bath time, when he could play with his new pirate ship.

Bickslow was conspicuously absent, however, and it was about then that the boys were taking notice of this. As Nate was just about ready to eat the chocolate he bought his kinda uncle, kinda not, there was a loud knock at the door.

"Oi, boss," came a call from the other side. "Is it time?"

No better, anyways, as Laxus rushed to go toss the door open.

"Oh, wow!" Pike forgot all about his pirate dreams then as, along with his uncle, something else came barreling into the Dreyar household. "A puppy!"

The brown haired pup ran straight to the first equally excited thing it saw, which happened to be Mace, and as the boy fell to the ground, letting the new dog sniff and lick all over him, while Pike only observed with great interest, but from the safe distance of behind his Uncle Elf's legs, Nathan only stood there, silent for once.

Mirajane had come to peek in from the kitchen and frowned at first, seeing this. She'd been worried about it, getting a new dog without keying the boy into it at first. She'd had Laxus hold off on it for a few months, to let them process the loss of their last one. It had been rather devistating to the boys, especially Nathan, and while Laxus felt like the only way to cure this was a new beast, his wife wasn't nearly as certain.

She felt like her fears were founded as Nathan only stood there for a few moments, watching his cousin play with the puppy, and maybe they were. Because he did hesitate, feeling a bit of a pit in his stomach, because he wasn't so certain he wanted a new dog yet. Or a new anything. Two had been his entire world since, well, in his mind he was born, but in actuality, since he was just two himself, and…

Well…

"HE's my dog, Mace, so knock it off!" Nathan was running over there then, to make sure the dog knew who it belonged to.

"She," Laxus grumbled to his oldest as the dog seemed just as happy to attack the blond boy as well. "And she's all your dog, Nate. Mace. Pike. And I expect her to be cared for and trained and looked after. Not by your mom or Gramps either. By you."

It felt like a lot of responsibility. A lot to be dealt with another day, of course. And, as Pike tentatively went to investigate their new puppy further, the tension in the room was all but gone and things were at ease again.

Until that dang dog noticed Ivory over on the floor, happily chewing on her teddy, and came over to do so as well. And, well, as Laxus went to snatch her up and snuggle his little baby to him, he was glad to find her displeasure in Two hadn't been a fluke; she, much like her father, saw dogs for the foul beasts they were.

The time would be much later, after many drinks and a heavy dinner, as the boys drifted off not in their beds, but scattered around the living room with their toys and new puppy snoozing along beside them, and Gramps in the recliner as the rest of their family stumbled off drunk, that the demon and dragon finally found themselves alone.

"We have to," she yawned as she laid Ivory down in her crib and Laxus only stood over her shoulder, observing, but silent, "put the boys to bed. And Master. And the dog needs to go pee, before we do. Go to bed, I mean. And pee, I guess. And I need to-"

"Demon."

"Hm?"

When she turned to look at him, her blue eyes were glassy, from the wine with her dinner, and he only smiled weakly into them.

"I couldn't find the right thing to get you."

And she giggled, as he seemed disappointed in himself, reaching out to pat at his chest as she reassured him.

"I couldn't either."

And they both laughed, maybe a bit too loudly as it made Ivory whine from her crib, but as he peeked in at her once more, Mirajane only leaned forwards to rest her head on his chest.

"I got you a new coat," she told him softly. "It's all I could think of."

"I got you a necklace. It's nice, I guess, but it just… I don't know. I wanted to get you the perfect thing-"

"That's what I wanted to do for you."

"You are perfect for me."

"Lax-"

"You are." And he leaned down then to kiss her sleepily, drunkenly, but purposefully as well. As they blinked at one another in their dark bedroom, he whispered, "You're so perfect for me."

She blushed, more from the wine than his words, but nodded as she whispered, "So are you for me."


End file.
